Infill Alert: Five Tips for Preventing Flooring Failure

Taking over an existing retail space can be a good move, as long as you have all the facts from the get-go, especially with regard to the floor. Lee Eliseian, president of Independent Floor Testing & Inspection, offers the following tips to prevent flooring issues from arising:

Understand that existing spaces present different risk conditions than new facilities. The unknowns – such as age of building, prior use and quality of construction – can present a variety of flooring risk failures.

Understand that most problems are preventable. Knowing up front the condition of the floor can reduce or even eliminate more problems down the road.

Assess the condition by conducting a floor survey. A survey should include valuation of the substrate and moisture testing to provide a complete picture of the conditions, the risks and recommended repair routes. “Advance knowledge via floor assessment can cost-effectively reduce risk for flooring problems as well as provide opportunity for potential financial mitigation by the landlord,” Eliseian saud.

Put a plan into place to address any underlying floor conditions. Ensure proper preparation of the floor, proper application and installation, and timely maintenance to dramatically increase the chances of a successful end result.

Post-opening fixes are the most expensive. Uncovering, and repairing, a flooring problem after the store is open can require a store to be under construction for a period of time – resulting in lost revenues – as well as entail costly demolition.

“The flooring survey will uncover many flooring issues,” Eliseian explained. “Sometimes further testing is required which can be evasive and require core samples to diagnose the problems, determine the severity, and offer the most effective repair solution.

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